The big data revolution, like many changes associated with technological advancement, is often compared to the industrial revolution to create a frame of reference for its transformative power, or portrayed as altogether new. This article argues that between the industrial revolution and the digital revolution is a more valuable, yet overlooked period: the probabilistic revolution that began with the avalanche of printed numbers between 1820 and 1840. By comparing the many similarities between big data today and the avalanche of numbers in the 1800s, the chapter situates big data in the early stages of a prolonged transition to a potentially transformative epistemic revolution, like the probabilistic revolution. As scholars and policymakers consider the type of newness presented by big data, the comparative exercise utilizes history to organize, address, and refine issues emerging today.